Quotes from Alexander Pope

Of all the causes which conspire to blind Man's erring judgement, and misguide the mind, What the weak head with strongest bias rules, Is PRIDE, the never-failing vice of fools.

Monuments, like men, submit to fate.

If, presume not to God to scan; The proper study of Mankind is Man. Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state, a being darkly wise, and rudely great.

Not always actions show the man; we find who does a kindness is not therefore kind.

The most positive men are the most credulous.

Fortune in men has some small diff'rence made, One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade, The cobbler apron'd, and the parson gown'd, The friar hooded, and the monarch crown'd.

Tis thus the mercury of man is fix'd, Strong grows the virtue with his nature mix'd.

Let standard-authors, thus, like trophies borne, Appear more glorious as more hack'd and torn. And you, my critics! in the chequer'd shade, Admire new light thro' holes yourselves have made.

And now the Chapel's silver bell you hear, That summons you to all the Pride of Pray'r: Light quirks of Music, broken and uneven, Make the soul dance upon a Jig to Heav'n.

And beauty draws us with a single hair...

Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.

A wise physician, skill'd our wounds to heal, is more than armies to the public weal.

A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

In men, we various ruling passions find; In women, two almost divide the kind Those, only fixed, they first or last obey, The love of pleasure, and the love of sway.

Many men have been capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing.

Men must be taught as if you taught them not, and things unknown proposed as things forgot.

Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man.

There is but one way I know of conversing safely with all men; that is, not by concealing what we say or do, but by saying or doing nothing that deserves to be concealed.

Pride is still aiming at the best houses: Men would be angels, angels would be gods. Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell; aspiring to be angels men rebel.

The proper study of Mankind is Man.

Every man has just as much vanity as he wants understanding.

Of Manners gentle, of Affections mild; In Wit a man; Simplicity, a child.

There should be, methinks, as little merit in loving a woman for her beauty as in loving a man for his prosperity; both being equally subject to change.

In pride, in reas'ning pride, our error lies; All quit their sphere and rush into the skies. Pride still is aiming at the bless'd abodes, Men would be angels, angels would be gods.